Right Here
by Aiyta
Summary: Helga took a heavy breath, "How could I? How?" she seethed, one hand pulling at the roots of her hair in frustration, "Because I love you!"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, zilch, nada, nil.

**Note: **FTI happened, TJM '_kinda_' happened in the sense that Arnold attempted to discover the location of his parents but failed, and thus, Helga then spent years after that trying to track them down _for _him...

* * *

Helga Pataki's heart beat dangerously in her chest, her entire rib cage shook with each palpitation and she struggled to take in the necessary amounts of air. Deep, dark green eyes pierced at her skin, Arnold Shortman's infuriated stare felt like knives against her very soul.

Helga shut her eyes tight, "I was only trying to protect you." she managed to splutter, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.

Arnold moved closer to her, his body tight and his fists clenched by his sides, "Five _years_!" he shouted at her in a cold and furious tone of voice she'd never heard from him before, "You _knew _where they were for five years!"

"I wanted to tell you, Arnold!" she countered, her eyes pleading with his, "I wanted to tell you so bad it _hurt_ but, don't you understand, if you so much as stepped foot in that jungle, La Sombra was going to KILL them" her voice was rising, now she was practically screaming, "No more discussion, no more negotiations – he was going to kill them and then kill _you_!"

"Who are you to decide which risks I take?" he shouted back, his voice sending painful feelings through her chest, "How could you _do _this?"

Helga took a heavy breath, "How could I? How?" she seethed, one hand pulling at the roots of her hair in frustration, "Because I _love _you!"

Silence befell the room, Arnold made no effort to move, his emerald eyes, dark and searing remained locked to hers as she stood breathing erratically.

Palms shaking, she continued, "But you already know that, you've known since we were NINE."

Arnold scoffed, turning his face away from her, "That is _not _what we're discussing right now." he hissed, "You betrayed me, I can't even trust you!"

"_Trust me?_ You can't even _trust me_?" Helga cried out, thumping her fist onto the nearby desk, "I've been here, right HERE, for fourteen years – watching out for you, doing _anything _I could to make you happy." her hands trembled as she gripped at her jacket sleeves, "I walked bare feet in the snow for _miles _one Christmas, just so you would believe in miracles, because YOU are the most wonderful, optimistic... _frustrating _boy I have ever met and... I-I love you! I always have! Why do you think I worked for _years _to locate your parents in the FIRST PLACE?"

Shaking his head, he turned to fix her with another heartless glare, "I don't know Helga, so you could _control _my life?" he suggested with a sneer.

Helga shut her eyes, letting her head drop, "I couldn't just sit back and let you walk into your own death." she said quietly.

"Oh? So you _neglect _to tell me where my parents are because you think I'm stupid enough to just walk into LaSombra's convenient trap?" he raged, gritting his teeth, "You think I wasn't _prepared _for the worst?"

"They're going to kill you!" she screamed at the very top of her lungs, so hard and loud her throat went dry and she winced in discomfort.

"Let them _try_" he yelled back, moving toward her once more and backing her against the bright blue wall, "My parents are in that jungle and _I'm _getting on that place and going to FIND them!"

Helga shook her head furiously, "Don't do it, please." she begged, little pinpricks of tears coming to the back of her eyes, her voice quaking, "You can't go out there on your own."

Arnold narrowed his intense green eyes at her, leaning down over her, "I'd rather die alone out there... than be _anywhere_ near you." he snarled.

"You..." Helga began, her voice no more than a whisper now, teeth biting down hard against her bottom lip, "I..." she looked up to him, but he simply stared back with disdain, stepping slightly to the side indicating his desire for her to leave.

Clenching her hands tightly into shaking fists at her sides, and trying her hardest to control the oncoming hyperventilation, Helga stepped tremulously out onto the stairs. "Goodbye." she whispered softly, a final farewell that she wasn't even certain he heard as he slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Arnold gripped tighter at his hand luggage as he peered from the terminal window, awaiting the boarding call for his flight to San Lorenzo. He shook his head and turned away from the view, unable to look at it any longer - it was _raining and it was raining hard._

Gerald raised an eyebrow at his friend, but chose to say nothing, maybe because he didn't realise why the rain was making Arnold so uncomfortable – or maybe because he honestly _did_, and didn't want to bring it up.

"Attention all passengers for Flight IJ-8-8-7." hummed a cheerful feminine voice through the crackly speaker system at the terminal, "Due to unexpected malfunctions, the passenger boarding bridge to your plane has been deemed unsafe for current usage." she continued politely, "Unfortunately, we will require all passengers on Flight IJ-8-8-7 to board the aircraft via the tarmac. We apologise for the inconvenience."

Arnold grimaced, knowing the very last thing he wanted to do was walk _through _the rain, across the tarmac and climb up onto the plane. Friendly flight attendants removed the red rope around the doorway and signalled for passengers to begin their journeys toward the plane.

"Guess this is it man..." Gerald said glumly, offering his long-time friend an encouraging pat on the back.

Arnold nodded slowly, "Yeah." he confirmed, "This is it."

Gerald waved briefly, as Arnold approached the two stewardesses, who checked his boarding pass and motioned toward the large doorway that lead out onto the tarmac. Taking a deep breath, followed by two more, Arnold stepped hastily onto the cold cement ground and felt the first splashes of rain hit his face.

Arnold briefly wondered why he hadn't thought to bring an umbrella, maybe it was because he honestly hadn't been expecting to encounter a rain storm before boarding his plane. Yet, he _always _carried an umbrella with him, he _always_ had and... He couldn't do this.

Two steps out from the doorway, he turned swiftly on his heel, rushing back in the direction of his best friend. Gerald eyed him with a hopeful expression.

"You know, there's foreign diplomats and government officials on the case already..." Arnold began, almost desperately, "I'd be risking my _life, _Gerald, and I mean, what's another few years of waiting anyway? I've lived sixteen years without them, I can survive some m-"

Gerald interrupted his incessant babbling with a strong hand on his shoulder, a look of absolute relief crossed his face, "GO!" he instructed, motioning toward the lights of Hillwood city.

Arnold's heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears, pounded against his chest and caught in his throat, almost so loud and vigorous it made him feel queasy as the taxi sharply rounded the bends from the airport to Vine Street. His legs felt like jelly as he climbed the Boarding House stoop and raced to the stairwell, passing his grandparents in the living room.

"Oh, thank the good lord!" Phil cried out as he passed, "The boy _finally _gets it!"

Pushing against the tough glass, Arnold crawled out onto the expansive rooftop and it didn't take long to find a tall blonde figure huddled over and absolutely drenched, sitting just inches away from the skylight panels.

Helga turned around slowly, "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, her words were tough but her tone was soft.

Arnold smiled a little at her attempted bravado, "What the hell am I doing here?" he repeated her question, "You're the one who is on my roof..."

She shook her head, pursing her lips together slightly, "Just leave me alone." she murmured.

"No." he said softly, "Never again."

Arnold shifted slightly, moving to take hold of her soft hand, feeling her warm skin against his. She held on tight, but looked at him with disapproval, "Don't make promises you can't keep." she warned.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, leaning in closer, "I'm so sorry."

Helga inched backward a little, pushing herself closer to the window panes, "You should be on a plane."

"Where I _should _be is here with you." he told her honestly, extending his free hand to touch her beautiful face, "This is where I belong."

Helga flinched a little under his touch, her gaze sceptical and concentrated. Arnold bit his lip guiltily, he didn't deserve a single thing she'd done for him, he had the most amazing girl in the world _right there_ all along and all he'd done was ignore it.

Arnold heard her take a deep shaking breath, before he felt his back connect with the cold wet roof tiles and Helga's lips brush against his as she hovered above him. Her hands gripped tightly to his shoulders as he sat up onto his elbows and intensified the kiss.

Arnold's hands moved to brush lightly against the damp skin of her face, feeling the warm sensation of tears intermixing with the rain against her cheeks. Running his tongue softly against her bottom lip, she eagerly pushed past his teeth with her tongue in return making him breathless.

Maybe it was Helga herself, or maybe it was the chemistry of the two of them combined, but the sensation of her kisses was intoxicating, he could hardly remember his own name. Her breathing grew heavy as he placed kisses along her jaw, down her slender neck and along her exposed collarbone, causing her body to become limp in his arms.

Arnold pushed her back up against the nearby pane of glass, kneeling between her legs and moving forward to capture her lips once more, his hand firmly grasping at her hip. Helga's hands ran softly across his broad shoulders, grasping a little as she whimpered.

Leaning back, he placed his thumb gently onto her cheek, wiping away a small teardrop from her face. "I love you." he whispered, as Helga watched him with awe, her blue eyes shining with fragility as though she might break any second. Slowly, and tentatively, she lifted her hand to meet his and he placed a kiss against her knuckles before scooping her up into his arms and carrying her down into his bedroom.

Everything he needed was right here, where it had always been, where _she _had always been. _Right here_.

* * *

_Decided that since there's so many possibilities for how this story could have gone after the opening scene, I wanted to explore a few more of them. So, I'm going to do a few more 'chapters' and each chapter will simply be the same opening fight and then various alternative endings. Hope you like & thanks for your reviews & suggestions everybody :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alternate Ending #1**

**.**

* * *

Helga Pataki's heart beat dangerously in her chest, her entire rib cage shook with each palpitation and she struggled to take in the necessary amounts of air. Deep, dark green eyes pierced at her skin, Arnold Shortman's infuriated stare felt like knives against her very soul.

Helga shut her eyes tight, "I was only trying to protect you." she managed to splutter, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.

Arnold moved closer to her, his body tight and his fists clenched by his sides, "Five _years_!" he shouted at her in a cold and furious tone of voice she'd never heard from him before, "You _knew _where they were for five years!"

"I wanted to tell you, Arnold!" she countered, her eyes pleading with his, "I wanted to tell you so bad it _hurt_ but, don't you understand, if you so much as stepped foot in that jungle, La Sombra was going to KILL them" her voice was rising, now she was practically screaming, "No more discussion, no more negotiations – he was going to kill them and then kill _you_!"

"Who are you to decide which risks I take?" he shouted back, his voice sending painful feelings through her chest, "How could you _do _this?"

Helga took a heavy breath, "How could I? How?" she seethed, one hand pulling at the roots of her hair in frustration, "Because I _love _you!"

Silence befell the room, Arnold made no effort to move, his emerald eyes, dark and searing remained locked to hers as she stood breathing erratically.

Palms shaking, she continued, "But you already know that, yo u've known since we were NINE."

Arnold scoffed, turning his face away from her, "That is _not _what we're discussing right now." he hissed, "You betrayed me, I can't even trustyou!"

"_Trust me?_ You can't even _trust me_?" Helga cried out, thumping her fist onto the nearby desk, "I've been here, right HERE, for fourteen years – watching out for you, doing _anything _ could to make you happy." her hands trembled as she gripped at her jacket sleeves, "I walked bare feet in the snow for _miles _one Christmas, just so you would believe in miracles, because YOU are the most wonderful, optimistic... _frustrating _boy I have ever met and... I-I love you! I always have! Why do you think I worked for _years _to locate your parents in the FIRST PLACE?"

Shaking his head, he turned to fix her with another heartless glare, "I don't know Helga, so you could _control _my life?" he suggested with a sneer.

Helga shut her eyes, letting her head drop, "I couldn't just sit back and let you walk into your own death." she said quietly.

"Oh? So you _neglect _to tell me where my parents are because you think I'm stupid enough to just walk into LaSombra's convenient trap?" he raged, gritting his teeth, "You think I wasn't _prepared _for the worst?"

"They're going to kill you!" she screamed at the very top of her lungs, so hard and loud her throat went dry and she winced in discomfort.

"Let them _try_" he yelled back, moving toward her once more and backing her against the bright blue wall, "My parents are in that jungle and _I'm _getting on that place and going to FIND them!"

Helga shook her head furiously, "Don't do it, please." she begged, little pinpricks of tears coming to the back of her eyes, her voice quaking, "You can't go out there on your own."

Arnold narrowed his intense green eyes at her, leaning down over her, "I'd rather die alone out there, than be _anywhere_ near you." he snarled.

"You..." Helga began, her voice no more than a whisper now, biting down hard against her bottom lip, "I..." she looked up to him, but he simply looked back with disdain, stepping slightly to the side indicating his desire for her to leave.

Clenching her hands tightly into shaking fists at her sides, and trying her hardest to control the oncoming hyperventilation, Helga stepped tremulously out onto the stairs. "Goodbye." she whispered softly, a final farewell that she wasn't even certain he heard as he slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Arnold walked along the city sidewalk with wide eyes, fully taking in the sights and sounds of civilisation for the first time in twenty years. The last time he had walked along this road was after breaking the heart of the most amazing girl he'd ever known in some ridiculous fight. If there was one thing he regretted above all it was hurting her, that and disregarding her advice and getting himself almost killed in the jungles of San Lorenzo.

Arnold still wasn't entirely certain how he'd made it out of there alive, and yet, after twenty years of imprisonment, three short weeks ago La Sombra had simply let him walk free. His parents had not been so lucky, Helga had been entirely correct, the moment Arnold went in search of them La Sombra had them executed. Arnold never met them, thankfully didn't see them die and never saw the bodies either.

Arnold's eyes snapped up from the ground, searching his nearby surroundings as the sound of an entirely familiar, and for many years _haunting_, voice met his ears. Hurrying down the street ahead of him, large coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other, was a beautiful blonde woman that just _had _to be Helga Pataki.

For a passing moment, their eyes met and the tall pink-clad figure of the girl who had loved him so much dropped the coffee from her lips and stopped dead. Summoning every ounce of courage he currently had, Arnold stepped forward to within conversation range, and began to talk, "Hello Helga..."

Helga blinked, and eyed him curiously, "So, you made it back." she stated, not even bothering to word it as a question.

"Yup." he confirmed nervously, "Alive and breathing."

She narrowed her eyes at his comment, "Yeah, yeah you still have your life." she scoffed, "... and you know what, if you're truly thankful for that, then maybe you should send me a card sometime."

Arnold's throat went dry, after _everything _he said, she had... "_You?_" he managed to choke out, "You made sure I was aliv-"

"Wow, twenty years later and you still just don't get it." she scowled.

Arnold let out a shallow breath, desperate to explain himself, to apologise for everything – but how could he even begin?

"Helga... I... I yelled at you and said horrible things..." he reminded her gently, still absolutely stunned, "...and then, you _still_ cared that much?"

She simply rolled her eyes, "I know." she laughed, "Pathetic, right?"

He couldn't help but to think back on all the times he wondered _how _and _why_ La Sombra had never killed him like he had his parents. Sure, the pirate gang had often used Arnold's fair 'European' looks as a decoy in varying illegal transactions, but, overall Arnold had known he wasn't of much value to the outlaws.

"I figured they were just keeping me alive for... use as a decoy.." he explained quickly.

Helga's face remained cold and unchanged, "Arnold, trust me, you were useless to them." she began harshly, "And_ I_ would know because it took a _lot _of money just for them to feel it was worth not putting a revolver to your head."

Arnold winced, "How many times did you pay them?"

At this question, she almost seemed a little rattled but she responded nonetheless, "Only twice, once when you were first captured and once two years later." she told him, "After that they sent word that they had 'found use for you'... as a decoy, I guess."

Arnold noticed her take a small step backward, as though she was beginning to leave and a very important question filled his thoughts, "Helga... why was I released?"

She gave a shrug, but it was unconvincing, "Beats me."

"Helga..." he pushed.

Helga frowned, "Fine." she said after a few moments silence, "I received word from La Sombra about two months ago, said if I did him a small favour he would finally let you walk free." she shook her head, "I wasn't even going to do it, I'd written him back saying I wasn't interested but... Steven talked me into it, said it wouldn't have been fair to deny you your freedom."

He felt his stomach churn a little as he asked, "Who's Steven?"

Helga raised her left hand slowly, and indicated toward the large diamond ring on her finger, "My husband."

Arnold winced, but did his best not to show it, "Your husband?" he asked quietly, "He talked you into doing more favours for me? Does he not know _why_ you did them in the first place?"

"Oh, quit it with the ego Arnold, you don't get to ask the questions here, okay?" she hissed at him, her blue eyes filled with silent rage, "Hell, I saved you from a horrible death, the only thing you _should_ be doing is sending me fucking gift baskets every goddamn day!"

"Helga, come on, don't you think I know what a horrible mistake I made?" he pleaded with her, his heartbeat doubling as the words finally came out, "I should never have boarded that plane, I should have been _right here_ with y-"

Suddenly, he felt Helga's hand on his lips, muffling his words. "Stop" she demanded in an icy tone, as she pulled her hand back, "I don't want to hear it."

Arnold grimaced, "Helga, I-"

"I'm going home to my family." she stated abruptly, shooting him a displeased look, "I don't want to hear from you ever again, got it?"

He felt his head drop a little, "Uh, how will I know where to send the gift baskets?" he joked, hoping to somehow salvage their conversation.

"Shove them up your ass." she shouted, as she turned quickly and walked away.

Arnold stood on the sidewalk alone, head in his hands and regrets on his mind. He wasn't entirely sure that it was socially acceptable for grown men to cry, but too bad – he was... and honestly, he knew he deserved to.


End file.
